


Bon Appetit

by Toyabear



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Cookery - Freeform, F/M, Hermione is offscreen in this one., Kids, M/M, Multi, Very much a part of this story though, there’s food
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-31
Updated: 2020-03-31
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:27:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,148
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23403733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Toyabear/pseuds/Toyabear
Summary: Neville tried to make something special for his stepdaughter’s birthday. Thing don’t go exactly as planned.
Relationships: Neville Longbottom/Hermione Granger/ Percy Weasley
Comments: 6
Kudos: 11
Collections: Once_upon_a_lifetime_TRS





	Bon Appetit

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by Anonymous in the [Once_upon_a_lifetime_TRS](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/Once_upon_a_lifetime_TRS) collection. 



> Yay I did it!!! I hope you all like it. I don’t know why this one was so hard to push out. I cook for a living lol. Okay, time for the disclaimer: nothing you recognize belongs to me. The plot and the grammar mistakes are mine though.

Clang! Crash! Bang! A cacophony of sound greeted Percy Weasley when he arrived home late one afternoon. It was an odd thing to come home to a house full of noise. Not to say that theirs was a silent house, between Hermione’s muggle music and a ten year old Molly at home with her Wizarding Wolves albums and some of Neville’s crazier plants, there was always something going on. But this sounded different. Frowning, Percy set his briefcase in its designated spot and slipped off his work shoes sliding into his comfiest pair of slippers. Mentally reviewing the families color coded timetable of events, he determined that the culprit was most likely Neville. The girls were out enjoying a spa day for Molly’s tenth birthday. It’d been on the calendar for weeks. Hermione declared that she needed time away from their hovering anyway.  
Striding towards the kitchen he saw...pans. Pans everywhere. There were loaf pans, sheet pans, sauce pots, stockpots, pizza stones all over the butcher block counter. “Neville,” said Percy calmly. “What in Merlin is going on here?”

  
Neville Longbottom turned to face his husband. “Hey Percy,” he waved a wooden spoon at Percy sheepishly. Percy gave a halfhearted wave in return. “Hello, Neville. What in Godric’s balls are you doing?” Neville gave an embarrassed grin, “I was trying to make Molly’s favorite.” At the mention of his daughter, Percy melted. “Oh Neville. Were you trying to make it for her birthday tonight?” Neville shrugged. Percy crossed the room to comfort his love.

  
Neville was his rock after the divorce. After he took up his seat in the Wizengamot after the war, Neville was at the Ministry at least once or twice a week. And every time he was there he stopped and checked on the introverted Weasley. Percy was quietly grateful for Neville’s steadfast companionship. Soon the lunches were everyday things and when Hermione came along in her Department of Magical Law Enforcement internship she joined the lunches. When Neville wasn’t around, it was Hermione who made sure that Percy was taking regular breaks and eating properly. And when he needed someone to watch Molly after Aubrey left, it was Hermione who stepped up. Between her and Neville they kept him going and it was only logical that they would end up here. Together. Neville was the first to make a move. Hermione was out with Harry and Ginny so Neville stopped by with his favorite Italian takeaway to make sure that he took a break that night and ate. He likes to tease and say it was Neville, but to be honest he wasn’t sure who reached for whom but in short order they were snogging over his desk. All he really remembers about that night was the taste and feel of his best friend. Five years later here they were, married, and together with one preteen child and a baby on the way. And he couldn’t be happier.

  
“I couldn’t find a castole.” Neville said. “A cassole?” Percy asked, eyebrows furrowed. Molly had gone with Victoire and Dominique when they went to France last summer to visit their other grandparents. The other Molly hadn’t been happy about the arrangement but consoled herself by taking James, Albus and little Lily just about every day. Ginny surrendered them gratefully.

Molly came back from France raving about Cassoulet and Bouillabaisse, and Oignon soup. Cassoulet was her favorite. She raved about it nonstop, and about how Apolline (call me grand mere) Delacour had a cassole dish that’s been in the family hundreds of years. It was sweet that Neville wanted to give her something she held in such regard but...

  
“Neville that dish can take up to three days to prep.” Percy was concerned. “You have to salt the pork, make the ragout and simmer the beans and let it all sit while you make the confit and that all has to happen before you even put the whole thing together. And then it bakes. And there’s sausage that has to be added somewhere in there too. I don’t even know if we have a cassole anyway.”

  
“Oh,” said Neville faintly. “I had no idea. Three days?” Percy nodded firmly. “Three days.” The two men stood in silence for a minute while Neville tried to process. He had known that the cassoulet was going to be an undertaking but hadn’t actually realized how big of an undertaking it would actually be. He came to a decision. With a wave of his wand, the kitchen was set back to rights. He saw Percy relax as the pots and pans picked themselves up and quietly put themselves away. A wave of love crashed over him. Percy would never have admitted to being uncomfortable, but after growing up in chaos he desired to keep his world as orderly as possible. Some of this desire was a hangup from the war but they all had them. Hermione had a small go bag that she took everywhere, Neville had taken to carrying a shrunken goblin blade secreted on his person. He would never be without a weapon, helpless, ever again. Percy’s mild dislike for chaos bloomed into something else entirely but he was seeing a mind healer regularly to keep it from taking over his life.

  
“What should we do instead?” asked Neville. Percy frowned in thought. His first inclination was a night out but since they had takeaway often, it wouldn’t be anything special and it could demean the overture that Neville was trying to make. Boiling pots and chopping ingredients would never be on Neville’s favorite activity list and the fact that he was willing to try meant a lot. “Let’s get all the ingredients together for flatbread pizzas,” he suggested. “Hermione was moaning about chickens, avocado and hot pepper jam the other day, and I could go for grilled onions and blue cheese.” Neville nodded but it was clear the younger man was let down about the change in plans.

  
Percy shifted, moving closer to Neville and grabbed his hands. Interlacing their fingers he said firmly, “Neville I appreciate the thought of a special dinner and maybe we can get together and work on the cassoulet later for our girls but I just want you to know that this dinner will be wonderful because we’ll all be here to eat it.” Neville smiled, “You’re right Percy. Maybe I can owl Apolline later about looking for a cassole dish for the cassoulet.” He offered. Percy grinned back at him. “Sounds like a plan. Now, let go wash our hands and prep these ingredients before the ladies arrive back. Maybe we can fit in some...other activities if we have the time.” Nevillewas up and at the sink before Percy finished talking. He looked back over his shoulder while turning on the faucet. “Well?” he demanded. “What are we waiting for?”


End file.
